Holy Cross to Hold Conference on Catholicism

WORCESTER, Mass. – The constant bombardment of news regarding the scandal in the Catholic Church has, in recent months, tried the faith of Catholics everywhere. Indeed, recent allegations of the sexual abuse of children by priests have left many to question Catholicism and its practices. In the midst of this crisis in the Church, the College of the Holy Cross plans to hold a conference that will attempt to answer such questions as: How do Catholics share and negotiate power - divine and human, religious and political? How does Catholicism function on a personal level - and how do an individual's personal religious experiences relate to the larger religious experiences of society? What is the current role of the laity within the church and how has that role changed over time? How can and will Roman Catholics practice their faith in the 21st century?

These issues and more will be addressed in a conference titled "Practicing Catholic: Ritual, Body, and Contestation in Catholic Faith" to be held at Holy Cross from Friday, October 18 through Monday, October 21, 2002. The conference will examine Catholicism as a living tradition in different time periods and social worlds throughout history.

"Practicing Catholic" will include scholarly presentations, liturgies and live performances by Holy Cross faculty and other internationally distinguished historians, cultural anthropologists, artists and theologians. Academic papers will explore topics ranging from healing and dying to social and political transformation.

Ritual performances will include a Ritual Mass of Anointing, complete with a series of choreographed processions; the "Chalice of Repose" project, a palliative, pastoral service to the dying integrating historical scholarship, musical performance, spirituality and medical treatment; a musical presentation of the "sound" of Hildegaard of Bingen's mysticism; and a sung Vespers service.

The conference is just a part of a semester-long series of events addressing Catholic practices and rituals. Student participation will include the integration of at least a dozen fall courses with the work of the conference. Four students will have the opportunity to respond formally to academic papers during the conference. Faculty development occurred during a summer seminar where Holy Cross faculty from the philosophy, religious studies, Spanish, sociology and anthropology, visual arts and psychology departments developed and shared pedagogy.

This event is sponsored by Holy Cross' Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture and is being held in conjunction with an installation by Lewis deSoto, at the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery, O'Kane Hall. Gallery Hours: Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.; and Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Thursday, October 17th, the artist will give a gallery talk, open to the public, at 5:15 p.m. For further information, contact the Cantor Art Gallery, 508-793-3356.